Venice is elegant, precious, inimitable, entertaining and romantic. It is a jewel of the Italian touristic landscape where churches, buildings, old bridges, monuments and piazzas are a record of the artistic and cultural vivacity that marks the history of this city.
Venice, famous for its historic carnival, Murano glass and Burano lace, can be visited on foot, via small lanes called “calli” and numerous bridges, or by boat, from steamboats to gondolas, carried by the water to admire unique views and scenery. Piazza San Marco, with its basilica, mosaics and its domes, the Doge’s Palace, the labyrinth of lanes dotted by shops and workshops, churches decorated with paintings, sculptures and frescoes, museums and even the most hidden piazzas, are all unforgettable.
Venice and the water: two indissoluble entities, two worlds that complement each other perfectly. Indeed, its waters are the theatre of many events.
Take a walking tour to get a view of all the important monuments from San Marco Square to the Rialto Bridge. Or, hop on a relaxing cruise along the Grand Canal while learning the history of the stunning palaces and churches that line this famous waterway. For the quintessential Venetian experience gondoliers will play music and sing songs, for a fee, while you take in the sites.
The Province of Venice hosts, throughout the year, various events, festivals, feasts and cultural performances, some of them internationally renowned. Venice is known for several important artistic movements, especially the Renaissance period.
You can also choose to go shopping in the typical crafts workshops and in elegant boutiques. The famous glass of Murano, the beautiful necklaces made with colourful pearls, the terra-cotta masks, the typical venetian desserts: these are some of the gifts you can get for yourself or for your family, as a souvenir of this unforgettable place.
If you are in Venice you cannot miss the bacari, typical venetian wine bars and taste exquisite cicheti (appetizers) with an ombra (glass) of wine. Venetian gastronomy is generally defined as frugal cuisine not for its quality, but to underline its humble origins. Nowadays many of the typical recipes have been re-valued by great chefs and have become examples of culinary excellence, thanks to the delicacies obtained from the land and the sea.
For those who love a bit of nightlife there are many opportunities: you can let yourself go in one of the various discos or spend the night at the Casino of Venice, testing your luck.